The Phoenix
by evellaspeidel
Summary: Set between seasons two and three, Nina finds she has a mystery on her hands.


Nina waved vehemently as the car drove away from Anubis House, taking Amber with it. As soon as it was of of sight, she dropped her aching hand to her side and allowed the forced smile to slide off her face. She turned and signed as she gazed up at the house looming over her. She plodded up the steps. The house was was so lonely now, she thought as she stepped inside and gently shut the door behind her. Trudy was away. Victor had been holed up in his study for weeks, only appearing once in a while to rush around frantically only to disappear again. Once she tried to peek through the window and see what he was up to, all she saw was were piles of books and papers scattered everywhere. Victor looked half crazed. He looked up suddenly and she had ducked her heart pounding. Later that night she had come back with Eddie. Nina had tried to get the other Sibunas to come, but they just told her to forget about it. Senkhara was gone. Rufus was gone. It was over.

Even Fabian sided with them. He had been so strange lately, distant. So it was just her and Eddie. Nina still didn't know what to make of the Osirian, but she figured she needed to trust him. She had asked Fabian to research the Osirian. He said he would, but never mentioned it again. When she confronted him he had said he didn't find anything. Nina didn't believe him. When she told him so, he told her angrily she was just trying to make something out of nothing. It wasn't like him at all, but she didn't pressure him any more because she didn't want them to break up again.

Maybe he was right. Half of her was glad that there was no longer danger lurking around every corner, that they were no longer racing against time to solve mysteries and same themselves and those they love. But the rest of her missed living the adventure, having her strength and wits put to the test, having her whole life be an enigma. How do you go back to being a normal teenager again after that? How can you? Eddie felt the same way, even though he'd only been pulled in at the end. There had to have been a reason he had come though and there had to be a reason she had too. They both believed that these were no coincidences. Both the Chosen One and the Osirian in the same school, in the same house? There was a reason, a missing piece to the puzzle. Now to find it.

When the two of them had made it to Victor's study, they found it empty. Eddie looked at her as if he was saying "What now?" "The cellar," she had mouthed. They furtively crept down the stairs, the same stairs she was now ascending on the way to her room while she reminisced. Even though they were careful, the creaky floorboards still groaned under their weight. Once in the cellar, they saw Victor bent over his alchemy table, muttering to himself. How could he still be trying to find the Elixir of Life? There were no more tears of gold, so even if he found the recipe there was no way he could make it. Unless there were other ways to get the tears. They watched for a while, but garnered no information. Both she and Eddie had given up after that. He had hardly spoken to her after that night. He was the only one still at Anubis House. She was flying back to the US in a few days, while he was spending the summer at the school with his father. I'd better start packing, Nina thought as she made her way down the hall towards her bedroom.

Wait! The attic door, why is it ajar? After quickly scanning the hallway to make sure no one was there, she slipped inside, making sure the door didn't close behind her. The attic looked abandoned and decrepit. Vera's things were still here, but covered with dust. The only light in the room came from the stained glass window. What was she looking for? Nina walked around the room aimlessly, one hand on the wall. Her hand slid over an uneven patch. What was that? She could see now the outline of a square. Quickly, she untangled her amulet from around her neck, tossing her long hair behind her. As it neared the wall, it glowed. When she pressed it to the wall, a panel slid back, revealing a hidden niche.

Nina felt around inside, but found nothing. She bent down and looked inside. The sides of the tiny cavern were covered with a series of paintings. The first showed an Egyptian holding, is that the Mask of Anubis? Yes, it was. The next depicted Anubis with gold streaming down his face, the Egyptian prostrated at his feet collecting the tears in a goblet. Then, there was a brilliant fire with a bird rising from it, a phoenix Nina supposed. In the following picture, all that was that were ashes. Above the ashes, were golden scales with a crocodile coiled at its base. On one side was the goblet of golden tears on the other, a handful of ashes balanced. The final picture showed the Egyptian with the crowns of upper and lower Egypt upon his brow, standing in an endless sea of half-men, half-animals- Egyptian gods, Nina realized. Gods who lived forever. This was the recipe for the elixir, she realized.

Her heart raced. Does Victor know? She removed her amulet and the door began to slide back in place. Wait what is that? She jammed her hand in and forced the panel open. Hieroglyphics were written next to the final painting. She looked around and grabbed a pen and piece of paper from Vera's bedside table, while propping the panel open with the other. She scribbled down the hieroglyphics with one hand and then allowed the panel to soundlessly slide shut. She then tip-toed down the stairs, shut the attic door and practically ran to her room. She fired up her laptop and pulled up a hieroglyphic alphabet. Painstakingly, she translated the message. The phoenix rises at dawn. The phoenix rises at dawn. What on earth does that mean?


End file.
